Muis, Simeon Marotte De

Muis, Simeon Marotte De a French Hebraist, was born in 1587 at Orleans. Of his earlier personal history it is only known that he was canon and archdeacon of Soissons. Four years after Cayet's death (1614) he was installed professor of Hebrew in the royal college, and kept that chair until removed by death in 1644. Muis combined with the knowledge of this language solid judgment, fine discrimination, a pure, elegant, and easy style, and very extensive acquaintance with sacred history and the groundwork of religion. He had the reputation of being one of the most learned interpreters of the Scriptures. We possess of him, R. Davidis Kimchi Commentarius in Malachian, Heb. et Lat. (Paris, 1618, 4to): — In Psalmum 19 trium rabbinorum Commentarii Hebraici cum Lat. interpretat. (Paris, 1620, 8vo): — Annotationes in Psalmum 34, printed in Bellarmine's Institut. Hebraicce (1622, 8vo): — Commentarius litteralis et historicus in omnes Psalmos et selecta V.T. cantica, cum versione nova ex Hebraeo (Par. 1630, fol.; Lovan. 1770, 2 volumes, 4to); this commentary is considered one of the best in existence, and was so pronounced by Bossuet, Godeau, Gassendi, Voisin, and other Roman Catholic authorities: Assertio Veritatis, Hebraicae adversus Joannis Morini exercitationes in utrumque Samaritanorum Pentateuchum (Par. 1631, 8vo): — and, in answer to Morin's repeated charge, Exercitationes Biblicae (Par. 1633), a second defence of the Hebrew text entitled Assertio Veritatis Hebraicae altera (Par. 1634), accompanied with a Specimen variorum sacforunm, containing notes of rabbins on the most difficult passages in the Pentateuch, the book of Joshua, and the first chapters of Judges: — Castigatio Animadversionum ad Pentateuchum (Par. 1639, 8vo). The most of De Muis's writings have, after his death, been collected and published by Claude d'Auvergne (Par. 1650, fol.). See Hoefer, Nouv. iaog.